TOP FLOOR MUSIC
PRESENTS
raw cuts
31st October 2023
Where better to be on a Halloween evening but in the top floor of the GMB, at a Raw Cuts x Top Floor Music gig. Surrounded by pool tables and Halloween costumes, Raw Cuts certainly made a stir. They filled the room with energy, electrifying the audience and lighting up the stage. The atmosphere was crackling with excitement and Raw Cuts ‘look’ was heightened by the crazy visuals projected onto the wall above them. The four-man band played a range of their original songs which were eclectic and earnest, with raw vocals and a unique sound. They finished with their take on MCR-T and horsegiirL’s ‘My Barn My Rules’, getting everyone crouching down on the ground, and ending in a crescendo, and everyone jumping up and down to the music. It was an explosive first concert back, and something spectacularly different to the concerts Top Floor Music has showcased so far.
19 April 2023
Tucked away in a small corner of Trinity’s campus on a bright April evening, the Top Floor Music audience were treated to a very special stripped-down gig by an artist who has previously sold out headliner shows in Workmans and Whelan's. This was none other than Last Apollo, stage name of musician Lucy Rice, whose EP 'Ordinary Matter' went off like a rocket when it was released in 2022.
The songs from the EP remained just as impressive stripped-down for her Top Floor performance; in the small room of the Trinity Arts Workshop, Last Apollo was not afraid to take up space, to stomp about in those musical moonboots and kick up some dust. With a brilliant band of musicians backing her, Lucy’s powerful voice weaved about the small room, delicate melodies rising to a roar as the music carried her up up up and our audience with her.
After their wonderful performance at the Trinity Arts Workshop, Joe and Lila from the Top Floor Music team sat down with Last Apollo, and got to chatting about songwriting, performing, and…milk? Read on!
27 February 2023
On the 27th of February, Top Floor Music welcomed Dublin-based six-piece folk rock band, The Lovely Good. Throughout the intimate set, the talents of each individual and the collective shone. From one song to the next, The Lovely Good traded vocalists and, sometimes, instruments. The emotive power of their songs, however, was consistent––contemplative moments were matched with cathartic swells of sound. The strings, woodwind, and brass––in addition to guitar, bass, and drums––employed by The Lovely Good bring an earnestness and vigour to the band’s sound, bringing together disparate sonic influences to form something strikingly new.
Following the performance, our very own Amelia caught up with the band. She asked them about their songwriting processes and influences and how the band came to be!
EVIE
6 December 2022
Evie’s EP Since the Fire, released in 2022, is the first of many projects that the artist has under her sleeve. Native to the city, Evie first began making and releasing music during the pandemic; since that time, she has quickly gone from playing in her bedroom to playing gigs around Dublin.
As Top Floor Music’s first Irish performer, Evie reminds us of that classic folk style, reminiscent of Beth Orton and Lisa Hannigan. Although she fits broadly into the singer-songwriter genre, Evie’s mesmerizing voice separates her from the rest. And while listening to “Dublin Bay,” we get a window into who Evie is and where she draws her inspiration from as an artist. Her songs contain gentle references to locations around the city, grounding her as one of the many young artists in the blossoming Irish music scene.
With only a handful of members in the audience, Top Floor Music enjoyed Evie’s intimate show which took place in an apartment on Trinity’s campus. Chatting to her after the performance, we got a better sense of who she is and what might be coming next!
CAm Begley
26 November 2022
Cam Begley’s EP “Bread and Water”, released at the end of September 2022, has joined a vast and diverse catalogue of recent releases from Trinity’s thriving music scene. From Lifts to Last Apollo, the college’s musical culture has emerged all guns (and guitars) blazing in the wake of the pandemic. Cam, our first guest here at Top Floor Music, is one of many Trinity students producing new and exciting bodies of work that we are so fortunate to be able to highlight.
Despite his cross-Atlantic move, Cam Begley, hailing from Hartford, Connecticut, brings with him a healthy appreciation for the classic American singer-songwriter style. One listen to “Bread and Water” evokes trademarks of indie rock from across the pond, reminiscent of Kurt Vile or The Shins. However, Cam avoids any strict categorisation through his blending of rock genres. What remains clear and unique is, above all, his distinct and powerful voice, and his artistic capability.
Top Floor Music was delighted to welcome Cam Begley into the TFM studio to showcase his work. Later, our station manager Vivien Sweet sat down with the artist to ask him a few questions.
